MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is seeking public input to start the review process for academic standards in information and technology literacy, music, and science.
“Clear and relevant standards help us improve access and equity in education,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “We welcome public input on the best way to ensure our kids have a foundation in a variety of subjects that prepare them to be college and career ready.”
Academic standards are written goals for what students should know and be able to do at a specific grade level or within a grand band. Standards in a subject area help ensure that schools offer students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success in that academic area. In Wisconsin, academic standards serve as a guide for planning curriculum and lessons. Public schools may adopt the state standards or develop their own.
The public is invited to provide input on whether the DPI should revise standards in information and technology literacy, music, and science. The standards for these three subjects are among the oldest of the state’s academic standards. Comments will be taken over a 30-day period, after which the State Superintendent’s Standards Review Council will examine the public comments and submit a recommendation to the state superintendent. Should a formal rewrite of any of these standards move forward, a draft of each new set of standards will undergo additional public review before adoption.
Information and Technology Literacy
Information and technology literacy is defined as the ability to use tools, resources, processes, and systems to access and evaluate information in any medium, and to use that information to solve problems, communicate clearly, make informed decisions, and construct new knowledge, products, or systems.
The current standards are “Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy,” which were adopted in 1998. Comments about the standards or standards review process can be made standards review process online through the information and technology literacy standards public survey at, surveymonkey.com/r/ITLpublicSurvey2017, or through e-mail to: itlstandards@dpi.wi.gov.
Music
Music education develops students’ skills and knowledge through experiences of singing, playing instruments, listening, movement, creative expression, and music reading. The current standards are “Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Music Education,” last modified in 1997. Comments about the standards or the standards review process can be made online through the music education standards public survey at, surveymonkey.com/r/WImusic2017, or through e-mail to: musicstandards@dpi.wi.gov.
Science
Science allows students to experience the richness and excitement of the natural world. It teaches students to understand complex questions that require scientific thinking, reasoning, and the ability to make informed decisions. The current standards are the “Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Science,” adopted in 1998. Most Wisconsin school districts have adopted or are using the Next Generation Science Standards, which were finalized in April 2013, to provide updated and relevant teaching and learning goals in science classrooms.
Comments about the standards or standards review process can be made online through the science standards public survey at, surveymonkey.com/r/WIscience2017, or through e-mail to sciencestandards@dpi.wi.gov.
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NOTES: More information about Wisconsin’s academic standards and the standards review process can be found online at: https://dpi.wi.gov/standards. This news release is available electronically at https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/news-release/dpinr2017_21.pdf.